Confession and the Consequences of Sin Week 14

Psalms chapter 32. We are continuing our study through the book of Psalms. We're not covering every Psalm, but we're trying to pick out some key ones that I think would be helpful uh to you as well. And here in Psalm 32, Psalm 32 is one of a a is a confessional psalm where David is confessing his sin before God. And it's a it's a psalm where he's just really uh penitent. He's he's asking forgiveness and and talking about that. And uh we looked at it last week. We looked at number one, the forgiveness of sin and where in the New Testament this is quoted and and going on. We defined four words that are used here in this passage.

Um talking about the different kinds of sins that that we deal with. And um it says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven forgiven." And transgression is defiance or rebellion. It's where we say I'm not going to do what you want me to do. And and then it goes on to say um whose sin is covered. And the word sin means to miss the mark. And and the picture that you can that would help you is like is by like being in your lane. Uh when you're on the road and the freeway, you've got these white lines that define this is my lane. And when you get out of that lane, uh you have missed the mark.

And and so that's what what we're talking about there with that is that we need to stay in our lane. And sometimes you can miss the mark because you are purpose decide I'm not going to obey the law and I'm going to go and pass or sometimes you miss the mark by accident by not paying attention. But either way you have missed the mark. And then talks about iniquity in verse two. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. And uh iniquity is a a distortion, a perverseness, a twist or c crooked. It's when we've gotten we've just distorted the word of God. We distorted what's right and and in that way.

And then we have guile uh which is deceit to hide or to cover up. The idea to hide or to cover up and uh guile is I'm trying to hide my sin but it's still there. David because he was hiding his sin from Basheba. Uh that's the idea of the word guile. Okay. Now looking at here, what are the three things that God does to bless a man who confesses his sin in verse one, look at verse one first of all. And uh it says, "Blessed he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." And uh verse number five, I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and my iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgivest the iniquity of my sins.

Sila and so God says when when you when you confess that sin there's there's things that he promised. 1 John 1:9 of course if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so God's forgiveness. So transgressions are forgiven. Again, it says in in verse number one, blessed whose trans blessed whose transgression is forgiven. And so, uh, God forgives our transgression. The word the word forgiven here means to take up or carry away his transgression. To take up or carry away. God says, I'm going to take your sin when you confess and I'm going to cast it in the deepest sea.

I'm going to carry it away and uh and and just guarding that way. Look at Psalms chapter 85 and verse number two. Psalms chapter 85 and verse number two. Thou has forgiven the iniquity of thy people. Thou has covered all their sin. Cila and then go down to um Psalms 1. Go over to Psalms 103 and verse number 12. Psalms 103 and verse number 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. So God says, I'm going to take them and just get them out of sight. I'm going to put them out of the way. Uh I'm going to remove them from you when you when you confess you your transgressions are forgiven.

And then Hebrews chapter 8 and verse number 12. Hebrews chapter 8 and verse number 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. And so God says, when you confess your transgressions, I'm going to forgive them and I'm going to take them away. I'm going to cast them into the sea. I'm going to put them as far as the east is from the west. And so that's a blessing to know that that that God uh who cannot forget, but he can he can put it out of his sight. He can say, "I'm not going to look at this. This is what I'm not going to focus on.

And I'm going to put it as far away as I possibly can. And then when we confess our sins, our sins are covered. It tells us and and again in verse number one. And the idea of that word covered, it means concealed or out of sight. Concealed or out of sight. Go to Proverbs chapter 10 and look at verse number 12. Proverbs chapter 10 and verse number 12. Hatred stirth up strife but with love coverth all sins. And then also look at Proverbs 28 and verse number 13. Proverbs 28:13. He that coverth his sin shall not prosper, but who confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. So when we so choose not to cover our sins, not to try to hide it from God and even from others, that's when we will prosper.

And then look at 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse number eight. 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse number eight. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. I was talking to somebody today and just talking about the idea of this is that it's is that we are not going to focus on what's wrong. uh we're not we're going to cover that over and not look at that but look at the person themselves. And and so God says, "Listen, when you confess your sin, I I'm going to cover it. I I I'm not going to that's not going to be my focus. When I look at you, I'm not going to see your sin.

I'm going to see you." And then u number three there, iniquity is not imputed. back in Psalms 313 32:2 it says blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity now that word impute is not one that we use much today uh and so we need to understand what that word means it means not placed on account it is an accounting type term and and you know when I go down and I charge something at the store they impute that to my account I don't hand out cash to them they take it and they impute it to my account and God says, "Listen, when you confess your iniquity, it's not imputed to your account.

It's not placed on your account. It's not held against you." Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse number 19. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse number 19. To wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation. And then verse number 21, for he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And so he took God, he took my sins and put them to Christ account. And he took Christ's righteousness and and put it to my account is the idea there.

And then look at Romans chapter 4 and verses 7 and 8. Romans chapter 4 and verses 7 and 8. saying, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." And he's quoting here from Psalms chapter 32. So, what's important here is what I want you to see is when you read in your Bible terms that seem synonymous, God does not try to impress us with vocabulary. He's not trying to say, "Look at all the words that I know." There is a difference between transgressions and sins and iniquities. And so we want to understand there's actually about uh I think a total of about eight or nine different words that are used for sin.

And they all just define it differently. And so it's important to understand that and in dealing with my sin. Am I confessing iniquity? Am I confessing sin? Am I confessing transgression? Is my problem that I rebelled against God? that I defied God and said, "I'm not going to do what you want me to do." That's different than I have sinned. I I'm out of my lane. I'm I'm not where I should be. I'm not I'm missing the mark. And and by the way, as I've mentioned before, also, you know, when you draw a straight line, if you draw a straight line, then you draw another line, uh if you if it's 90 degrees off, it's pretty obvious you're you're way off track.

You know, you're going the wrong way. if it's 100, you know, if it's uh uh 45 degrees off or 190 degrees off, it's going the wrong way. You know, you have to realize that. But you know what? Even if you're only one degree off, the further it goes, the farther it gets from the mark. And what happens a lot of times is we allow sin to continue in our lives. And because of that continuing sin, we're getting further and further away from God. And so when I confess that sin to God, what I'm doing is say, "All right, I need to get back in my lane. I need to get back on that line that God has for me. I need to get back where God wants me to."

And sometimes it's pretty obvious how far I've got to go a long way back. And sometimes it's very minimal, but it's still wrong. And and so understanding that and then seeing how these different ones that you know all sin God forgives. But the idea of transgressions, he specifically says your transgression is forgiven. That rebellion, how you defied me. But he says your your sins are covered. That individual sin that's covered before God. And then iniquity is not imputed is not placed on account. So I I think there's a lot that we can learn there just from a short little list like that as well.

Now going back to Psalms chapter 32 and look at verses 3 and 4. It says uh when I kept silence, my bones waxed all through my roaring all the day long. For day and night, thy hand was heavy upon me. My moisture is turned to the drought of summer. Sila. Now remember that we talked about that word sila up earlier on in this lesson. And number four at the top there, it mean it's a musical notation. Remember psalms were hymns and it basically meant the idea of to pause, to stop and to look and listen. just, you know, so he's saying here, what he's saying at the end of verse four, he says, "Wait a minute.

Don't keep reading. Don't just keep rushing through this. Don't rush ahead. Stop. Go back and look what I just said." And so he wants to go back and look again at what he says here. And and so he says, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long." So what was David silent about? Go over to Psalms chapter 66 and verse number 18. Psalms chapter 66 and verse number 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Uh 60 uh 6618. So he's silent because he's not calling to the Lord. Why is he not calling unto God? Because there's iniquity. I've been defying God.

And when we're defying God, we stop talking to God. And he said, ' Listen, I I've got to get this right with God so my prayers can be heard. I got to get it right with God so I can hear from God again as well. And and so he says, "Listen, my silence and and and and he says when I did that, when I kept my silence, my bones waxed all through my roaring all the day long." We'll look at that in just a moment here. So what are the results of concealing sin? Well, first of all, it's physical problems. I think that's what he means by my bones are waxed old. Is sin affects us physically. One of the things we forget is we are a four-part being.

God created us with physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. And so, we are a four-part being. We're all a bunch of squares. Okay? And and what we have to be is we have to have them in balance. Anything out of balance is going to wear out quicker. You got a tire that's out of balance, going to wear out quicker. And when your life is out of balance, it's going to wear out quicker. And so when you're when there's sin, when you're spiritually not right with God, it's going to affect you physically. It's going to affect you mentally. It's going to affect you emotionally. And and so David's saying, "Listen, because of my sin, it's affecting every other area of my life.

My bones are roaring. And it's like I I got this ache inside of me, this physical ache. Look at Psalms chapter 38. Psalms chapter 38 and verse number 7. Psalms chapter 38 and verse number 7. For my loins are filled with a loathome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh. You know, it's just right there in my gut. It's just eaten away at me like an acid and affects you. you know, when you know there's sin, it just affects you physically. And then um look at 1 Corinthians chap 11 and verses 30 and 31. 1 Corinthians chap 11:es 30 and 31. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

For if we judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Because of their sin, they were physically affected. They were sick. There were even some that had died uh because of their sin. Robert, can you a couple lessons for these folks? Uh so we we need to realize that that it creates physical problems. Our spiritual life affects our physical life. And then um and then emotionally our the he talks about his roaring all the day long. And back in Psalms chapter 32 again and verse number uh three uh wax old through my roaring all the day long. The idea of the word roaring here is it could also be translated as groaning.

Groaning. Uh look at Psalms chapter 38. Psalms chapter 38:es 8 and9. Psalms 38 8-9. I am feeble and sore broken. I have roared by reason of the disqueness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee. It just when you when you're when there's sin in your life, you just it affects you emotionally. You're depressed. You're down. You don't feel like doing anything. Look at Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and verses 22- 23. Romans 8:22. For we know that the whole creation groanth and travaleth in pain together until now. Not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to with the redemption of our body.

I there's a lot of physical ailments that are caused by spiritual problems and they affect us in that way. And uh and by the way, I think the reverse can be true as well. I think sometimes when we're physically sick, it can affect us spiritually and emotionally. Uh I've suffered for many years from something called cluster headaches, which are like somebody shoving an ice pick through one of your eyes. And I'll tell you what, when I have those headaches, I'm not very godly. Now, I I should not let my physical ailments control my spiritual life. And and uh and that's a challenge. And that's what Paul prayed to God for.

And God said, "My grace is sufficient." But it's hard. When you're physically hurting, it's hard to be godly. When you're physically hurting, you're emotionally struggling. You can't think mentally. And so, understand that. And when you're dealing with a problem in your life, no matter what it is, deal with it holistically. You know, there's times I'm talking to people, they're dealing with sin. And I said, "Listen, you need to go to doctor and have a good physical checkup because if you're not physically strong, you're going to struggle dealing with the sin as well. And in your life, you need that.

You need that strength physically." And so, understand that holistic aspect. And that's what David is kind of addressing here. He goes on to in the next verse there back in Psalms chapter 32, he said, "For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me." And and that's conviction. Again, look at Psalms chapter 38 one more time and look at verses 2 and 3. Psalms chapter 38:es 2 and 3. For thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand passes me sore. There's no soundness in my flesh because thine anger, neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. That conviction, it's like it's poking in you and and just is sticking you and saying you're not right with God.

You're not doing what you need to do. And and God's hand is heavy upon you. Look at Psalms 39:es 10-11. Remove thy stroke away from me. I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty consume him away like a moth which every man is is vanity. Uh surely every man is vanity. A sila. Again, think about it. Think about it. When you're not right with God, you get convicted. But what do we do with that conviction? We fight against it instead of giving in and say, "God, I want to get right with you." We fight against that conviction. And then um in back in Psalms 32:4, my moisture is to turn to the drought of summer.

Sila uh that depression, this idea of being depressed. Uh go over to 1st Samuel chapter 1. 1st Samuel chapter 1 and verses 6-8. 1st Samuel chapter 1 beginning with verse number six. And her adversary also provoked her sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb. And he did so year by year. Uh when she went went up to the house of the Lord, she provoked her. Therefore she wept and did not eat. Then said Elkna her husband to her, "Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am I not better than thee with the 10 sons?" She was depressed. And why was she depressed?

Because she didn't get what she wanted. And rather than trust in the Lord, she was depressed about it and and just cried her eyes out until her moisture turned to the drought of summer. She had no more tears left to give. And and so he's describing that here in Psalms very clearly. What what happens when we have sin that we do not get right with God? Then verse number five, I acknowledge my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity to my sin. Sila. So when we confess, we must acknowledge both the individual sin and our sin nature.

He he acknowledges sin and he confess his transgressions. And and in 1 John 1, uh I want you to turn over there. I want you to look at verses 8-10. We're all very familiar with verse number nine is quoted quite often. Uh but really 8-10 goes together. And it's important to realize that in first in 1 John 1:8 it says, "We say that we have no sin. We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we've not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. Now, the difference between verse 8 and verse 10 is this.

In verse eight, it's confessing our sin, our individual sin. But in verse 10, I'm sorry, confessing our sin nature. In verse 10 is confessing our sin. See, not only do I need to say, "God, what I did was wrong, but I have to I have to acknowledge that I did that because I am not a good person." See, we like to say, "Well, I know I did a bad thing, but I'm a good person." And God says, "No, you do bad because you have a sin nature." And we have to acknowledge not only the sin, but acknowledge the sin nature as well in confessing. And that's what David is expressing back here in Psalms chapter 32.

Uh look at Psalms chapter 51 and verses four and five. Psalms chapter 51. This is kind of a if you write in your Bible, I would write next to Psalm 32, Psalm 51. And next to Psalm 51, I would write Psalm 32 because these these passages really parallel each other. Uh Psalms 51 is David's confessional psalm. In verses four and five, against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou might asest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shaped iniquity and sinned. My mother conceive me. And it goes on and throughout this whole passage again says, I me is nobody else's fault.

It's me. He's confessing that going back to Psalms 32:5. I acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my trans my transgressions unto the Lord and now forgives iniquity of my sin. Eight times he uses that personal pronoun. And that's so important in confessing sin. You got to take full responsibility. I did it. No excuses. No ifands, or buts. I did it. and I did it because I'm a sinner by nature. And it's acknowledging my sin and my sin nature. And when we do that, that's when we can get the victory. I deal with a lot of people, they'll say, "Yeah, I did wrong, but and and they never get victory because there's always an excuse."

And we got to acknowledge the sin and the sin nature. So what happens when we hide our sins? You know, he said, "I'm going to confess them. I'm going to get it right with God. I'm acknowledge my sin. I'm not going to hide it anymore. Go over to Proverbs chapter 28 and verse number 13. Proverbs 28 and verse 13. Now again, if you write in your Bibles, um, if you have a cross reference where you have cross reference to other verses, probably next to verse 13, you're going to have a cross reference to Psalm 32:5. And next to Psalms 32:5, you're gonna have a cross reference for Proverbs 28:13. If you don't, write them in there.

If you do, circle it because these two verses go so well together. Proverbs 28:13, he that coverth the sin shall not prosper, but who so confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. And so God wants us to confess our sins, not hide it from him. And when we confess, we have mercy. But when we hide our sins, we're not going to prosper. Go over to Jeremiah chapter 16. Jeremiah chapter 16 and look at verses 17 and 18. Jeremiah 16 17 and 18. He says, "For mine eyes are upon their ways. They are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity uh hid from mine eyes. And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double because they have defiled my land.

They have filled my inheritance with the carcass of recessible, detestable, and abominable things. You know, when we cover our sins, we hide it. What's going to happen is we're just going to keep building up judgment and not getting right with God. And that we have to get right with the Lord. And that's so important. We're not going to prosper until we confess it. And to confess it is to say, "I sinned because I have a sin nature." It's both have to be acknowledged there. And then um the I said going back to proverb Psalms 32:5 uh he says I acknowledge my sin unto thee and my iniquity have not hid.

I said I will confess my transgression to the Lord and I'll forgive his iniquity my sins. Sila and the idea of I said shows that confession means making a decision. Confession means making decision. He was he sinned. He realized it. He said, "You know what? Only's gonna change this if I go ahead and get it right with God." Go over to Luke chapter 15. Luke chapter 15. Luke 15 and verses 17- 18. And when he came to himself, he said, "How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will rise and go to my fathers and will say unto him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.

So before he went to his father, he had a little selft talk. He said, you know what? This isn't working. Look at the mess my life is. Look at how miserable I am. Why am I not getting this right with God? It's making a decision. And and that's so important to do is make that decision to get it right with God. And then going back to Psalms chapter 32 again he ends with um he said I said I will confess my transgression to the Lord and thou forgivest the iniquity of my sins sila. And so godly confession requires godly sorrow. Godly confession requires godly sorrow. Look at Psalms 38 verse number 18.

Psalms 38 and verse number 18. For I will declare my iniquity. I will be sorry for my sins. And then I want you to go over to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. 2 Corinthians chapter 7 and look at verses 9 through10. 2 Corinthians 7. The Corinthian church was a mess. First letter Paul wrote to him. He was talking about you're doing this wrong. You're not doing this right. You need to get this right with God. It was just constant. And then and and then now he's writing the second letter and he says in verse 7 he was comforted by Titus's coming in and in verse six and it goes on seven and not only by his coming only but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you when he told us your earnest desire your mourning your fervent mind towards uh me so that I rejoice the more for though I made you sorry with a letter I do not repent though I did repent but for I perceived that the same epistle has made you sorry though were but for for a season.

Paul's saying listen I I I wasn't happy rebuking you. I wasn't happy telling you everything you're doing wrong. That that was terrible thing for me but you needed to hear it. And when I said it I was not I was kind of sorry I have to say all this but I love you so much I said it anyway. And now I'm not sorry because you got right with God. Look at verse eight. For now, verse nine, now I rejoice that you were made sorry, not that you were made sorry, but you sorrow through repentance. For we were you were made sorry after a godly manner, that you might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow workketh repentance and salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world workketh death.

For behold the self-same thing, that you sorrowed after a godly sword, what carefulness it wrought in you. Yay, what cleans clearing of yourselves. Yay, what indignation, yay, what fear, yay, what veminite desire, yay, what zeal, yay, what revenge. In all things, you have approved yourself to be clear in this matter. And so repentance is not just being sorry. It's having godly sorrow. And godly sorrow is described in verse 11, what it's going to be like. It's just really seeing, you know, I messed up. You know, it's not just I did a bad thing and I'm sorry I got caught. It was is really realizing what I did was wrong.

It was rebellion against God. I was out of my lane. I could have, you know, I I I could have had a accident, destroyed lives and all this stuff and and and and just acknowledging that iniquity. It is taking full responsibility. So there's a godly sorrow. There's a big difference between being sorry and having sorrow. I'm I have sorrow that I hurt you. I I have sorrow that I rebelled against God and and and you know it's that feel that sorrow not just being sorry. So going back to Psalms chapter 32 then and uh looking again at verse number this time verses uh 6 through 11. For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee at a time when thou mayest be found.

Now let me stop there and say this. When you sin, use Psalm 32 or use Psalm 51 as your prayer. Psalm 51 is such a great confessional psalm and and and don't just wrote read it, but sit down with it and really take it and make it personal. You know, turn over to Psalm 51 just real quick here. You know, Psalms 32 is good here, too, but Psalm 51 kind of takes Psalm 32 uh even further. And it's really David's confessional prayer. And he says, "Have mercy upon me, oh God, according to thy loving kindness. According to the multi tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.

God, just cleanse me from this. Cleanse me from my sin." Uh, and he goes on to say, "Acknowledge my transgression." There's a good point. Stop and say, "God, I acknowledge my transgression. Here's what I did." To verbalize it. Now, why do you why do why do we need to do that? Because God already knows what I did. Those of you have kids, when your kids do something wrong, what do you have them do? What did you do that was wrong? You know why? Because otherwise they may not learn what they need to learn. You know, one of the things I I challenge parents when they spank a child or or punish a child, you always want to know what to have them articulate what they did that was wrong.

I can't tell how many times I my children were in trouble and I was about to punish them and I said, "What did you do wrong?" And when they told me, "No, that's not what I'm punishing you for. This is what I'm punishing you for. I want to make sure they understand it." And they verbalize it. And even if I think they understand, by verbalizing it, they are taking that responsibility for it. And so, you know, just to to make this personal, when you're sin, go to Psalm 32, go to Psalm 51. These are the confessional psalms that will help you to get it right with God. Not by wrote repeating them, but by truly having the heart that David had when he wrote these.

And so he goes on verse going back to Psalms 32. For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found. Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto thee. Um thou art my hiding place. Thou shalt preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt compass me about with song deliverance. Sila I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eyes. Be ye not as the horse or as a mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with a bit and bridal, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he that trusts in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

But be glad in the Lord. Rejoice you righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart. Okay, so let's look at a couple things here. Going back to verse six, for this. So what does this refer to? Whenever you see words like for this or therefore or wherefore, anything else like that, it's always connecting you to what was just said. So he's saying, listen, because of verses 1-5, you want your sins forgiven, you want your iniquity, you you know, be washed away, you want to get right with God, then this is what, you know, it's by doing that that you can get these things right. And so it's referring back to verses 1-5.

Now notice he says, "For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found." So what does he mean by that? Turn over to Psalms chapter 69 and look at verse number 13. Psalm 69 and verse number 13. But as for me, my prayers onto thee, oh Lord, in an acceptable time, oh God, in the multitude, thy mercies, hear me in the truth of thy salvation. You know, an acceptable time when when you can be found. Go over to Isaiah chapter 55 and look at verses 6 and 7. Isaiah chapter 55 6 and 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wi wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy unto him and our God for he will abundantly pardon.

So seek him while he is near, while he can be found. and then go over to Romans chapter 2. Romans chapter 2. Romans chapter 2:es 4 and 5. or despise thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing the goodness of God lead repentance, but after thy hardness and impented heart, treasures up unto the self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. What he's saying here is this. Get it right with God while you can before you you're going to suffer too much. You know, there's a point where, you know, an apology doesn't mean the same thing.

When you're already been caught, your apology means less than if you go to that person say, "Listen, you don't know, but I need to ask your forgiveness for doing this." It's going before you're caught. It's going before it's too late. It's going before you've built up this whole animosity. And now you got consequences to deal with. Now you've gotten far away from the Lord and it's going to take a long time to rebuild back to where you were. Don't wait. Do it while you have that opportunity before it's too late. And then look at uh second Peter chapter 3 9 and 10. Second Peter chapter 3 and verses 9 and 10.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promises. Some men count slackness, but as longsuffering to us, we're not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and that which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Listen, God is gracious and God is patient and God is is is long-suffering, but don't take advantage of that because you're the one that's going to pay the price for it. You're going to be miserable longer.

You're going to you're going to pay the consequences. All of these things you don't want. You want to do it while you can be found. Do it while you have that opportunity. Okay? And then number C there going back to Psalms chapter 32 and verse 6 he says surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. And so the floods can be referenced to a couple things. Uh go to Psalms chapter 46. Psalms chapter 46 and verses 1-3. Psalms 46 verse1. God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried in the midst of the sea, though the waters therefore roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

Cila, in other words, don't wait until the floods come. Don't wait till the fire happens to do your fire prevention, to plan how you're going to escape. Get it done now. you know, um it was too late for people to repent after the floods came. And and and so that's what we have to understand. Go over to second uh I'm sorry, Psalm 69 and verse number one. Psalm 69 and verse number one. Save me, oh God, for the waters are come up in onto my soul. Don't wait. You know, you see these floods and people are warned, evacuate now before the floods happen. People stay in their homes. Then, you know, and they wait and they wait until now it's too late.

You're going to drown. The water's up to your neck and now it's too late to get out of that situation. Don't wait too long. And then go over to Second Peter chapter 3:es 4-7. Second Peter chapter 3 and verses 4-7. And saying, "Where's the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. Whereby the world that then was be overflowed with water perish. But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved onto fire against the day of judgment by the predition of God and godly ungodly men.

But beloved, be not ignorant as one thing that when day was with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years a day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promises. Some men account slackness, but as longsuffering to dust, not willing that they should perish, but all should repentance. In verse 10, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are there and shall be burned up. You wait too long and then judgment is going to happen. Now, now repenting isn't going to fix that.

And so, he says, listen, don't wait. Don't put it off. Get it taken care of right now. And then, um, letter D, and we'll talk about this more next week next week, but I want to kind of introduce it. Letter D in verses 7 and 8, he gives promises. Here's the promises. When you confess, here's what I'm going to do. Thou art in my hiding place. Uh he'll preserve us from trouble. Uh he'll give us a song. All these things are promises from God. And then and and he ends with some instruction on confessing. How specifically then do I confess? And that's what we're going to finish up with next week. But again, let me challenge you.

There's so much in this psalm and what what I love about it and Psalm 51 and a few other places in the Bible is when I sin, those are places I can go and really understand what it is I need to do and make them personal to me. You know, meditate on my sin. Did did I have I committed iniquity or transgression or sin? Is have I rebelled against God? Now, all sin is rebelling against God. But it's the difference between your your kids do something wrong and when they deliberately say, "I'm going to do this." You know, it's kind of deliberate choosing to do that. Was I was I transgressing? Did I deliberately choose to do wrong?

That's a different kind of confession than just I I messed up when when I missed the mark. Was it because I I chose to not obey that that the double line? I chose not to bl the no passing law sign. I I went out there and I put myself in that situation. Or is it because I wasn't paying attention? You know, have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? And you think about it afterwards, I got that speeding ticket because I was speeding. I I chose to. I knew I was going fast. But there's other times you may have gotten a ticket, you weren't paying attention and you were going fast. There's different. Now, they're both wrong.

you're going to get the ticket either way. But there are different reasons and and that's a different confession, too. And and was it was it iniquity? You know, so it's understanding that and how do I then confess it? How do I get this right with God? And I don't want to wait. I don't want to put it off. And so, I think there's just so much there that is really amazing uh to study through. We're going to hope it's been a blessing to you as we've gone through that as